oppression

Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

n. The act of oppressing; arbitrary and cruel exercise of power: "There can be no really pervasive system of oppression . . . without the consent of the oppressed” ( Florynce R. Kennedy).

n. The state of being oppressed.

n. Something that oppresses.

n. A feeling of being heavily weighed down in mind or body.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

n. The exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner.

n. The act of oppressing, or the state of being oppressed.

n. A feeling of being oppressed.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English

n. The act of oppressing, or state of being oppressed.

n. That which oppresses; a hardship or injustice; cruelty; severity; tyranny.

n. A sense of heaviness or obstruction in the body or mind; depression; dullness; lassitude

n. Ravishment; rape.

from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

n. A pressing down; pressure; burden.

n. A feeling of weight; that state in which one experiences a sensation of weight or pressure; hence, lassitude; dullness of spirits; depression.

n. The act of oppressing or of imposing unreasonable or unjust burdens; the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, harsh, or severe manner; the imposition of severe or cruel measures or exactions; tyrannical or cruel exercise of power.

n. An oppressed state or condition; the state of those who are overburdened or oppressed, or treated with unjustness or undue severity, by persons in authority or power.

n. Whatever oppresses or causes hardship; an unjust or unreasonable imposition, exaction, or measure; a hardship.

The politician does it to secure votes; but the worst class is composed of those who edit papers that circulate only among the scum of society, and embittered by the sight of luxuries beyond their reach, are always ready to denounce the rich and excite the lower classes against what they call the oppression of the aristocracy.

This objection, however, or some other, rather political than moral, obtained such prevalence, that when Gay produced a second part, under the name of Polly, it was prohibited by the lord chamberlain; and he was forced to recompense his repulse by a subscription, which is said to have been so liberally bestowed, that what he called oppression ended in profit.

Polly, it was prohibited by the Lord Chamberlain; and he was forced to recompense his repulse by a subscription, which is said to have been so liberally bestowed that what he called oppression ended in profit.